1927
You have all received the latest issue of the 1927 Speakeasy dated February 21. Once again the perpetrator of this pillar doffs his hat to Gus for a most entertaining and newsy issue. You have read with regret that at the close of this alumni fund campaign Gus Cummings will hang up his spikes after approximately fifteen seasons as the spark plug of our club. Many years back he started out in right field, without a glove, on a team that was very near the bottom of the league. By dint of long, hard practice he has become the mainstay of a first division team and last year was prominently mentioned for the honor of most valuable player in the league. In fact, if at the last minute, some lucky monkey of the "1926 Yankees" hadn't shut his eyes and clouted a three and nothing cripple out of the orchard, old man Cummings would have pitched our club into the World's championship. This being the old timers' last season let's give him an air-tight infield while he burns that fast one over, and let's take a toehold and keep our eye on the ball when we're up at the plate. Wouldn't it be a fitting tribute to retire him with our first one hundred per cent championship! In Josh Davis we have a fine new spark plug coming up next year. So, in the words of Gus, "Let's give him something to shoot at."
Reg Vincent has been keeping busy enough to give us some news for the column again this month. This time it's not political unless you want to start a campaign at this early date for Reginald P. Vincent Jr. for the City Council of East Orange. Reg. Jr. was born on Friday, February 4th. Congratulations to Reg Sr., and his wife Anna.
Also in the new baby department we are pleased to announce the arrival of Susan Abbott, daughter of Elo and Lt. Bill Abbott who is still stationed in San Francisco. Little Susan was born on February 26 and weighed in at seven pounds and four ounces.
We much enjoyed a recent letter from Brick and Pauline Stone. It brought us news that they have been transferred from Mexico City to Havana, Cuba. Brick is working there for what he describes as a small General Motors operation. He describes Havana as a delightful place and recommends that we visit there as soon as it is practicable.
A very kind reporter sends us a bit of news collected from the New York grapevine. His report is that having chosen (?) for the first time in twenty-five years to be sick, Dr. Fritz Cortlucke, whose extension practice keeps him on the go till ten or eleven at night, when finally forced to his bed with a bad case of Grippe, actually found it necessary to have his secretary flatly state that the doctor was dead; whereupon the caller invariably would say, "Well, I'd be glad to call at the Doctor's office if that would be any easier for him." No sympathy with his profession these daysl
Ken Andersen, an important cog in the National Electrical Manufacturers' Association, now spends two days a week with the powers that be in Washington. When, as and if manufacturers can start again on civilian electrical goods Ken will be one of the first to know it. That reminds us, Ken, that the newly established Arnold menage is short an electric iron. How about it?
As previously reported, Wilbur Munnecke who was vice president of Marshall Field and Company, left them in September 1942 on military leave. He then spent some time in Washington directing and organizing the Army Student Training Program. Since June 1943 Wilbur has been adviser of war projects at the University of Chicago. The Chicago Sun of Tuesday, February 15, carried a picture of Wilbur with the announcement that his resignation from Marshall Field and Company had been accepted and that he has been elected a vice president of the University of Chicago. President Hutchins said "Munnecke will co-ordinate the business and administrative affairs of the University, including supervision of the work of the Treasurer, the Comptroller and the Business Manager."
Among the members of our class who have gained prominence and respect as public servants, Jim Lowell of Connecticut rates high. As previously reported, Jim was formerly executive assistant to Governor Baldwin of Connecticut. or practically a year now he has held the office of Finance Commissioner in that state and is one of the youngest men ever to hold this position. Having specialized in political science at Dartmouth he later studied at the Hartford College of Law. He later became active in the insurance business as well as in civic, social and political affairs in Canton. In' 1940 he was appointed Dairy and Food Commissioner for the state and in that position instituted a program of cooperation with federal officials and military and naval officers that played an important part in the war effort. As a result of his fine work in this field he was placed in charge of the Food and Dairy Division for Connecticut by Paul McNutt, then head of the Federal Security Administration. He was also appointed chairman of the Committee on Interstate Cooperation of the National Food and Drug Association and was a member of this organization's comijiittee on Standards. Jim and wife Ruth have three sons, James Jr., Walter and Arthur.
It is with deep regret and sorrow that we report the death of our classmate Bob Reinhardt. After a short illness Bob passed away at the Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D. C. on March i. He had recently been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Air Forces.
Lieutenant Hitchcock writes that on a recent trip to the west coast he saw Lts. Abbott and Broer in San Francisco. He reports that Bill is in the operations department for Western Sea Frontier and that Coggy is at the Naval Supply Depot at Oakland. Hitch adds that he got Broer in town for a .few evenings of cracked crab and martinis, but that Abbott "couldn't get the night off." No doubt the aforementioned arrival in the Abbott family prevented Bill from visiting the hot spots with Hitch and Coggy.
Art Lund is now located in Baltimore where he is District Chief Clerk for Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company.
Nick Zaro has apparently been transferred to Chicago for he is now living at the Edgewater Beach Apartments in that city.
Among service promotions we list Frenchy Abbott who has recently been made a captain in the Army.
Secretary, 152 Waban Ave., Waban, Mass. Treasurer, Box 1412 Pittsburgh 30, Penna.
